


Pas de Deux

by Kalanon (Kalael)



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Ballet, Community: rotg_kink, Human AU, I'm not sure where this is going anymore and for that I apologize, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-31
Updated: 2013-02-04
Packaged: 2017-11-23 02:38:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/617170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalael/pseuds/Kalanon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kink meme fill.</p><p>Burgess' annual performance of The Nutcracker is bound to be a little unusual this year, what with the Nutcracker Prince being played by an attractive Australian.  Jack Frost, a children's ballet instructor, isn't sure he's up for the challenge of performing with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Jack was trying very, very hard to come to terms with the fact that he’d been cast a girl’s part. It wasn’t as though there was a shortage of female dancers, because really, there were always plenty of ballerinas flitting about. He stared at the cast list in his hands and tried to figure out where the typo could be (despite the director’s hearty assurance that no, there was no mistake, this was his role, they would be fitting costumes in three weeks).

Sure, he was one of the few guys in the world that could dance en pointe and actually do it well. So what? He’d learned pointe because it was fun. Not because he wanted female roles in classic ballets where he would be forced to dance with a guy dressed like a nutcracker. In fact the only reason he had auditioned for The Nutcracker was because the kids he taught ballet to were all going to be in the show and they had wanted him to try. He hadn’t expected a big part, if any part at all.

No, he was not bitter. 

Well, maybe a little.

The worst part of this whole debacle, Jack decided as he watched the rest of the performers warm up, was that the guy playing the Nutcracker Prince was ridiculously attractive. Aster Bunnymund was an Australian graduate who had come to the States for an MFA in performance and he had the leg muscles of a god, legs that put Greek statues to shame. Jack looked sullenly at his own twiggy thighs and wished that he could visibly pack on muscle the way Aster did. Along with mile-long god's legs, Aster’s dark hair and tanned skin had a fair number of the cast members swooning over him as he warmed up.

“You’re looking awful.” A voice in his ear made Jack jump and he leaned back in his seat to glare at the personal space invader.

“Kozmotis, I swear to god if you don’t make some noise before you come up behind me, I will take you out with my pointe shoes.” It wasn’t an idle threat but Kozmotis just chuckled as he settled in next to Jack, who rolled his eyes and continued to sulk over the cast list. Kozomtis Pitchiner was one of the older members in the group but Jack would bet that he had more talent than half the other dancers in just his pinkie toe. Jack hated him sometimes, but that was only because Kozmotis was his pointe instructor and therefore had more dirt on him than anyone else. Even his own mother.

“How does it feel to be given one of the most important roles in the ballet?” Kozmotis asked snidely, and Jack gave him a nasty look.

“How’s it feel to be the Rat King? Probably cast you because of your rat-like features.” It was a halfhearted insult and they both knew it. Kozmotis would be wearing a mask and his body type was perfect for the intimidating Rat King, all lean muscle and powerful movement. Not for the first time, Jack wished he’d been cast as a rat soldier instead.

“Frost, we’re ready for you!” Toothiana, the dancer cast as Clara, called from the stage where everyone else was finishing up. Jack sighed and stood, cracking his neck and praying that the warm-ups he did earlier with Kozmotis would be enough to keep him distracted from Aster during the pointe warm-ups. Fat chance of that, though. Kozmotis laughed at him as Jack trudged up to the stage, mindful of his pointe shoes as he ascended the short set of stairs and walked onto the marley. Tooth was waiting for him, a big grin on her face, and Jack couldn’t help but smile back. She was a great dancer and an even better friend. He was glad to see her in her first major role.

“So the Sugar Plum Fairy decides to grace us with his presence now.” There were large, warm hands on his hips and Jack tensed just before he was lifted into the air. Tooth squealed with laughter and Jack just grimaced, waiting to be set back down on the floor. Aster held on a little too long and Jack jerked from his grip the moment his feet were on the ground. “Still can’t believe a guy can be so light. Sure you’re not a girl, Frost?”

Jack turned to face Aster and poked him in the stomach a little harder than necessary. Shit, Aster’s abs were like a rock. 

“You, sir, need to get off the stage. You’re wasting space.” He wasn’t going to pretend to be nice when Aster was just going to antagonize him. The stupid, attractive Australian had the audacity to grin at him.

“Didn’t you hear? We’re doing partner warm-ups now.” Jack could feel his frown deepen and Aster just laughed. Somewhere in the theater Kozmotis laughed as well. “Better get used to me fast, Sugar Plum. We’re going to be seeing a lot of each other.”

Jack Frost wouldn’t go so far as to say he hated his life, but there were times when he was certain that forces beyond himself really had it out for him.


	2. Chapter 2

They had two months to pull the show together, mostly because the performers were almost all college kids or elementary students. So while the rehearsal period went on longer than Jack was used to, it certainly didn’t make the process any easier. Classes were still a pain in the ass and Jack groaned as he stretched his arms over his head. He winced when his spine cracked and Tooth cringed at the sound from where she was sitting across the table.

“Finals…” He sighed, staring at his laptop screen. He had a few essays to write and some tests to study for, and there was a study group for his anatomy and kinesiology course after rehearsal that day. At the moment he was sitting in the green room with a few of the other performers, waiting for his turn to go over choreography. They were in their third week of rehearsal and in just a few days they would get their costumes. Jack wasn’t looking forward to it. At least they weren’t going to put him tutu, Jack wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle wearing a tulle skirt. Sugar Plum Fairy he may be, but trying to stick him into a woman’s costume wouldn’t go over very well. 

“How’s your paper on fracture identification coming along?” Tooth asked. She was technically a double major, working in both dance and physical therapy, and Jack did not envy her. She was always busy, but she seemed happy that way. Jack could hardly handle the dance lessons he taught between regular classes, much less during a show.

“Fine, I guess. Just got through greenstick and moved on to,” he glanced at his laptop, “…compound. Ugh, I can’t imagine bone going through your skin. Sounds totally awful.” Tooth opened her mouth, probably to impart some gross story having to do with broken teeth or kneecaps, but thankfully someone interrupted her.

“Frost, we’re up.” Maybe he wasn’t so thankful, Jack couldn’t help but bristle at the sound of Aster’s voice. Tooth smiled behind her laptop and Jack glared at her as he stood up and grabbed his pointe shoes. “Sullen as usual. Buck up, mate, can’t have the kids thinking their fairy is a grump. It’ll ruin the magic, yeah?”

“Shut it, kangaroo.” Jack ground out, and he smirked when Aster shot him an unamused look. Before Aster could make a retort they were interrupted by the choreographer. They didn’t get a chance to speak for the rest of rehearsal, but Aster’s hands burned wherever they touched Jack’s body. They didn’t get along, but Jack had to admit that they danced well together.  


He disliked Aster even more for that.

\--

Aster genuinely didn’t understand why Jack seemed to hate him so much. They’d had their tiffs in the past, and the snowcone incident was something Aster was still bitter about, but Aster thought he was doing an admirable job of playing nice. Sure, he ribbed Jack a lot about his role, and made fun of his pointe shoes, and teased him for his physique, and overall he thought Jack was a noisy little attention hog…

Well, maybe Jack’s dislike had some foundation. But it wasn’t like Jack was all that innocent in things either. Seriously, that snowcone incident sent Aster into a tizzy every time Jack brought it up.

Aster grunted as he finished a set of curl-ups and he laid back on the floor to rest for a moment. The weight rack hid him from sight and that was how he wanted it. Lately there had been too many people intruding on his personal time, even when he was trying to train. Luckily this spot kept him out of view, though he could peer under the rack to see if anyone came into the weight room. So when the door opened and three people came inside, Aster saw their feet before he heard their voices.

“Fucking Frost.” Someone, a female, said bitterly. “Just because he dances en pointe he thinks he’s hot shit.” Aster frowned and considered getting up to shut her up, but he continued to lie on the floor and listen instead.

“I think you’re being too harsh on him.” A second person said. “He tries really hard, you know. He’s not bad at dancing.”

“It’s the only thing he’s even halfway decent at.” The female voice snorted. There was silence; her companion didn’t argue with that. It wasn’t any secret that Jack was miserable at academics. “Shit, I forgot the training video. Come back with me?” The second voice groaned but the sound of the door swinging signaled that they had left, leaving Aster alone in the weight room once more.

He didn’t know why he felt so surprised by the idea that other people hated Jack. He found the kid annoying and he didn’t think that Jack took dancing seriously enough, but practicing with him had begun to change Aster’s point of view. Not enough for a total change of heart, but...Aster laid there for a long time, thinking about Jack Frost and how thin he had felt in Aster’s grip.

\--

Jack grimaced at his costume. It wasn’t terrible, but he had to admit that the glitter was a bit overwhelming. He would deal with it though. He’d come to terms with the fact that he was the Sugar Plum Fairy and when it came down to it, he was actually grateful for the opportunity. He didn’t have a lot of upper body strength so he had trouble doing lifts, and his body weight was the same as most of the girls in the cast. Dancing a girl’s role gave him a chance he thought he’d never get: a chance to dance en pointe in a mainstage production. The fact of the matter was that as rare as male en pointe dancers were, there just weren’t enough opportunities for them to get a foothold in the dance world. Jack was well aware that he would be relegated to teaching dance lessons for the rest of his life.

He changed into his costume, feeling the material stretch across across his shoulders as he stretched. It was comfortable and breathable, and the glitter didn’t shed too much. Jack turned to look in the mirror and was stunned for a moment. This was his second chance. This was his redeeming moment.

No one had ever really believed in him. But now, he was going to force them to look his way and he was going to hold their gaze until they shook with emotion, amazement. He was going to prove to everyone –to his stepdad, to his classmates, to Aster—that he had what it took to be great.

Jack sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth and put his costume away. His feet were sore, he had overworked himself to the point where his toes had blistered painfully. He walked with a slight limp out of the theater, waving goodbye to Tooth and accidentally catching Aster’s eye. The Australian was helping distribute rehearsal schedules and when their eyes met, Jack stuck out his tongue. Immature, but worth the disgusted expression on Aster’s face. Jack wandered back to his dorm, ignoring the pain in his feet.

He would make everyone remember the name Jack Frost.


	3. Chapter 3

One month into rehearsal and Jack had gotten used to Aster’s silent strength beside him. But that didn’t mean he enjoyed being hauled around the stage just because Aster felt like picking up him. One sharply miscalculated pique turn later and Aster was nursing a sore stomach, courtesy of Jack ‘accidentally’ kneeing him in the gut. His apology definitely wasn’t sincere. Kozmotis just snickered when Aster complained about it later. Tooth was slightly more sympathetic, but Aster knew better than to expect support from his foe’s best friend.

Sanderson, the graduate school’s physical therapist, just huffed and shook his head when Aster told him about it during their lunch break. He figured that meant Sandy had agreed with Jack’s actions, so Aster acted like the mature 24 year old that he was and chucked a carrot stick at him. Sandy shook with silent laughter and doodled hearts on his notebook paper, which Aster maturely chose to ignore.

_\--3 weeks to opening night--_

One of the blisters on Jack’s left foot hadn’t healed, and when he was walking to class he felt a sharp pain as it finally popped. 

“Shit.” He grumbled. Nothing he could do about it now except slap a hydrocolloid bandaid over it and pray that it didn’t get infected. Jack took a detour to the bathroom before going to class and winced when he saw the blood on his sock. He’d just have to plow through the day and hopefully the blister wouldn’t hurt too much. A fool’s hope, since the blister was the size of a quarter. He dabbed up the fluid and the small splotches of blood, relieved when it was quick to stop bleeding.

As Jack tossed away the soiled papertowels he grimaced. He had forgotten that he had scheduled an extra pointe practice with Kozmotis that afternoon. Jack put a bandaid over the sensitive blister and   
continued on to his class, trying not to think about how much it would hurt late on. His phone rang in his bag and a quick glance at the number made him frown and hit ‘ignore’. He felt bad for not taking his mom’s call, but he already knew what it would be about.

\---

“Your elbows are drooping.” Kozmotis snapped, and Jack immediately shifted his arms. “Your knees are locked and your posture is awful.” Jack hurried to fix his stance but Kozmotis put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. “This isn’t like you, Jack. You’re usually more focused than this.”

“Sorry.” Jack muttered, trying to draw himself up.

“Don’t bother. I’m letting you go for the day. Don’t think I didn’t notice how you’re favoring your left foot.” Kozmotis was giving him a disapproving glare and Jack wilted under it.

“I’m sorry…”

“If you were really sorry you wouldn’t be wasting my time like this. You need to take care of yourself, Frost.” Jack opened his mouth to argue but Kozmotis gnashed his teeth together and pointed at the door. “You want to dance? You have to make sure you _can_ dance. If you hurt yourself you’re going to drag everyone else down with you. We’re in the final two weeks before the show and if you strain yourself you’re going to be disappointing more people than yourself.” Kozmotis had a way of picking up on exactly what would make someone feel terrible, though with Jack it came easily. They had known each other for a long time, after all.

“You mean my stepdad?” Jack laughed although his expression was filled with resentment. “Manny doesn’t care, Kozmotis. He only ever thinks about work, work, work. He doesn’t have time to think about his gay stepson who’s making a fool of himself by going to _dance school_. Nothing to be proud of here.” It was a sore subject, but Kozmotis didn’t have time for Jack to throw himself a pity party.

“Stop doing this for other people.” He said simply. “You dance because you want to. Be selfish, Jack. This doesn’t belong to anyone else. It’s yours to enjoy, and if I catch you hiding injuries again I’m going to beat you senseless. Now get out of here and take care of your foot before I call Aster to carry you.” Jack gave Kozmotis a disgusted look and hurried to take off his pointe shoes, rushing out of the dance studio with bare feet while his mentor just sighed.

“Kid’s got issues.” Aster said as he peered through the second door that led to the weight room. Kozmotis turned and glared at him.  
“Spying? How revolting. If you want to learn more about Frost, just go work him up with your childish barbs. I’m sure that the both of you would find it rewarding.” He hissed at Aster before leaving the room. Aster looked in the direction that Jack had gone in and considered going after him, but Kozmotis’ words had struck a chord. What could arguing really give him? Aster returned to his training and decided to get answers out of Jack another day, trying not to think too hard about _why_ he wanted those answers.

_\--2 weeks to opening night--_

“Stop touching me!” Jack snarled, wrenching himself out of Aster’s grip. “Why do you insist on picking me up every time you see me in pointe shoes? I’m busy right now, kangaroo, and I’d appreciate it if you backed the hell off!”

It wasn’t the first time that Jack had gotten mad about it but he had never yelled at Aster like that before. It probably had something to do with the stepdad issues that Aster had overheard from the weight room. He watched while Jack stormed off to the far side of the stage, and had to admit that he was being unreasonably childish about the whole thing. He resolved to stop touching Jack without permission, and refused to listen to the quiet voice in his head that urged him to go after Jack to apologize. Sure, he’d been unfair, but it was nothing to apologize over. Aster distracted himself by stretching his legs, focusing on the burn in his calves rather than his concern over Jack’s anger.

Tooth watched Aster and Jack stubbornly ignoring each other and shook her head. They were both morons, unwilling to work past their issues to become the team that needed to be. In Jack’s defense had been acting weird all day, and Tooth had an idea of why that was. She caught him after rehearsal, while he was putting new bandages on his feet to cover the blisters he had. She spotted Aster at the doorway but when they made eye contact he turned and left, obviously embarrassed at having been caught. Tooth rolled her eyes and returned her attention to her best friend.

“Jack, you haven’t been focusing today. What’s wrong?” She asked bluntly, and Jack gave an exhausted sigh.

“Am I really that obvious?” He grumbled. Tooth nodded and Jack groaned while burying his face into his hands.

“Great. I can’t even dance anymore. Just perfect.”

“Whoa, wait up. I didn’t say that at all, you’re making assumptions. You’re just not focused today, that’s all. Did you hear from your sister?” It was a good guess as to why Jack wasn’t dancing very well that day, though the blisters on his feet probably had something to do with it. Tooth made a mental note to talk to Kozmotis about Jack overworking himself, though she would bet that the man already knew.

“Yeah.” Jack answered, and he didn’t sound as happy as he usually did when discussing his sister.

“Did she talk about Manny?” Tooth was starting to put together a picture of what had happened.

“Yeah. Guess he wanted to know when her next recital was so he could go to it. She’s pretty excited, he’s been attending all of her performances. Since, you know, I can’t be there.” Now it made sense. Tooth sat down next to Jack and rested her head on his shoulder, sighing heavily.

“Oh, Jack…he’s not avoiding you. He’s just busy, and he probably feels obligated to be there for Emma since you can’t make it.” She said. Jack snorted and rested his head on hers.

“Yeah, right. That’d be why he’s hardly said a word to me since I decided to go to dance school. Bet he’s real proud of his fag stepson.” Jack muttered sarcastically, and Tooth flinched at his choice of words.

“I don’t think you’re being very fair to your stepdad, Jack. When has he ever given you crap for being gay, or for dancing? And don’t put yourself down so much. You’re an amazing dancer and you’re going to make a great teacher, okay?” She put an arm around him but Jack just shook his head, refusing to say anything else on the matter. “Want to go get ice cream and watch a movie at my place? We can stay up all night and I’ll let you use the snowcone maker.” That made Jack smile, but he shook his head again.

“Can’t, I’ve got my kid’s class in the morning. I’m going to teach them how to do a sous-sus, and I can guarantee right now that they’re going to be spinning all over the studio.”

“Risky.” Tooth teased. She stood up and made a show of brushing off her leotard, then held out a hand to Jack. “We can still get ice cream though. You can’t say no to this, because it’s not often I allow my friends to stuff their faces with teeth-rotting sugar.”

They ended up at a café instead of an ice cream shop and Jack sucked down the most disgustingly sugary coffee that he could afford. Tooth tried to ignore his slurping while she sipped from her mug of lemon tea, her eyes wandering the café. For a moment she thought she saw Aster, and it turned out to be someone else but it put the thought into her head.

“We should invite Aster out for coffee sometime.” She said absently, and she laughed when Jack started choking on his frappuccino.

\--

“Okay, everyone remember what I taught you last week?” Jack asked, and the kids chorused back with an enthusiastic ‘yes’. “Great! Who can tell me the name of this position?” Jack put his heels together and turned out his feet, smiling when one of the kids yelled out ‘first position’. “How about this one?” He shifted so that one foot was in front of the other, both still turned out with his front foot’s heel by the back foot’s toes. The kids stared hard at his feet, trying to remember.

“Fifth position, guys.” Jack reminded them gently, and there was a collective sigh from the kids as they admitted failure. “Don’t worry about it, just keep it in mind for next time.”

Jack loved teaching the kids. The only two things he considered himself to be good at were dancing and taking care of children, so combining the two had seemed like the natural choice. Sure, he wasn’t going to be making much money in the future, but it was better to do something that he loved than to find an awful desk job and spend the rest of his life in misery. No matter how disappointed his stepdad might be, Jack knew that this was the only route for him. He beamed at his students as they did their best to work through barre exercises.  
Aster felt like a creep for watching him through the window, but he hadn’t realized that Jack taught classes in the same building that Aster took his master courses. He filed the information away for next time.

He didn’t catch Jack looking at him as he walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The more I write for this, the more I realize how unsuited I am to full-length stories. Hopefully this chapter isn't as slapdash as it feels.


	4. Chapter 4

“You bleached your hair?” Aster stared at Jack in confusion, oblivious to how uncomfortable it made Jack to be under his scrutinizing gaze.

“Costume designer asked for it, so I did it over the weekend.” Jack muttered, tugging at his freshly bleached hair. “Gotta go in one more time so it’ll be pure white. I think the designer wants to put glitter hairspray in it too.” Aster wanted to make a snide comment but the light hair suited Jack ridiculously well. “Lucky for me I have a baby face, wouldn’t want to look like an old man like you, kangaroo!”

“Why you little—!” Jack danced out of Aster’s reach, laughing. Rehearsals started before Aster could get his hands on him, and the truce that they had during practice made it impossible to get revenge.

Aster tried to ignore the way his fingertips brushed Jack’s hipbones when he lifted him, and the way Jack smiled while he danced.

Jack pretended he didn’t feel his heart speed up whenever he and Aster made eye contact while they moved across the stage.

_\--1.5 weeks to opening night –-_

Aster found himself standing in front of Jack’s dorm, examining the various posters Jack had plastered across the door. Some of them were faded to the point of being illegible, some of them had friendly grafitti scrawled across them, and all of them were indicative of Jack's interest in dance. He spotted a poster from a previous show and felt an usual pang in his chest as he recognized his name printed across it. Jack had seen him dancing before, had known about Aster long before Aster had known a damn thing about Jack.

Taking a deep breath, Aster knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Jack called out, and Aster peered into the room before fully entering. The dorm was small and surprisingly empty, only a few articles of clothing lying about and a heavy stack of books on the desk. Jack, his hair now completely white, was sitting on his bed with his feet in a bucket of ice. “Oh, Aster. What are you doing here?” Jack seemed genuinely surprised and Aster tried not to scowl.

“Kozmotis asked me to come speak to you. Said something about having given you this talk too many times before. Were you going to tell anyone about your feet being mangled?” Jack had the decency to look ashamed and Aster sat down next to him without asking for permission, yanking Jack’s feet out of the ice bath to look at them. The position was too awkward for Jack to remain sitting at the edge of the bed and it forced Jack to turn sideways so that he could rest his feet in Aster’s lap. 

“Christ, kid, haven’t you been giving your feet a breather? This ain’t healthy.” Jack’s feet were a mess of blisters, a sign of overworking them. It didn’t look like any of them were infected, but they ranged from small unpopped blisters to quarter-sized patches of raw skin.

Jack was weirdly silent and Aster looked him in the eye, his expression solemn. “You could seriously injure yourself like this, you know? You’re dancing en pointe twice a day, from what I hear. Kozmotis says your lessons with him are cancelled ‘til after the show is over.” That got a reaction.

“He can’t do that!” Jack sputtered, and Aster squeezed his ankles in warning.

“He can and he will.” He said. “It’s for your own good. Why’re you pushing yourself so hard? Can’t be because you’re a masochist. Though I wouldn’t count it out, you’re a right weirdo.” Jack shot him a glare but Aster stared levelly back at him. The silence got awkwardly tense and Aster started to think that Jack wasn’t going to open up to him, and that they would go back to square one, but then Jack surprised him.

“It’s the only way anyone will notice me.” Jack grudgingly admitted, breaking the silence. Aster was thrown for a loop; he hadn't expected the reasoning to be so selfish. “I’ve always loved ballet. I started it with my little sister when I was in elementary school, and I never stopped taking classes. I’m not very good at anything else. When I got to school here, no one would give me a second glance until I took up pointe.” There was another awkward pause. Aster didn’t know what to say, and he felt a little guilty. All of the comments he’d ever made about Jack never getting anywhere, never getting noticed—they weren’t supposed to hurt Jack like that.

“Do you know how much it sucks to come to college and not make any friends? I didn’t befriend Tooth until we met during one of Kozmotis’ pointe lessons. You didn’t even remember who I was until I concocted that ridiculous snowcone scheme, and that pissed people off but at least they were acknowledging me.” The dreaded snowcone incident. Aster felt his hackles raise but he pushed the anger down, remembering the mangled feet on his lap. He’d played a part in this as well, however unwittingly. Too many dancers destroyed their bodies and Aster didn’t want Jack to be one of them.

“I love your dancing.” Aster confessed out of the blue. Jack jerked in his grip but Aster kept hold of his ankles, forcing Jack to stay seated. “You can’t see it yourself, but you have stage presence. Maybe you’re bitter because pointe is what got you noticed, but it’s beautiful. I’ve never seen a man en pointe before you, but you’re probably the best.” It was high praise, coming from the graduate star pupil. Jack stared at him, open mouthed and confused, causing Aster to laugh at him.

“Are you serious?” Jack finally asked.

“Yeah. Wouldn’t joke about something like that, mate. We may not like each other all that much but I respect your dedication, and your technique. Pretty flawless.” Aster reached over to ruffle Jack’s hair and was rewarded with a shy smile. It wasn’t the openly happy expression Jack had while he was dancing, but it was close. It was better than the snarky smirks Aster usually received, anyway.

It also reminded Aster of just how young Jack was, though 20 wasn’t much younger than 24. But four years in the dance world made a lot of difference, and Aster had received a considerable amount of support where Jack had been forced to work harder than his peers just to be acknowledged. It wasn’t really healthy, which was probably why Jack was willing to dance while injured. Aster was ashamed that although he and Jack had been working together in various productions for over a year, he’d never taken the time to notice Jack as more than a nuisance.

“That being said, I took the liberty of informing the director that you wouldn’t be coming to rehearsal tonight.” Aster would miss Jack’s smile once it was wiped off his face, but the horrified shriek he got in response was almost worth it. He snickered while Jack beat him over the head with his pillow, Jack’s feet still in his lap, and he wondered when they had gotten so comfortable with each other that they could play like that. He didn’t dwell on it for long, since Jack seemed determined to beat him senseless with the pillow. With a roar, he pressed forward and launched the most terrible tickle attack that Jack had ever suffered.

Aster left with a satisfied grin while Jack groaned from his seat on the bed, his feet back in the bucket and his homework spread across his lap. As Aster shut the door behind him he glanced at the posters again and noticed that Jack had collected a poster from every show that they had worked in together. Tickle attacks and heart to heart discussions aside, they still had a long way to go before they were on the same level. Aster ran his hand across one of the posters and decided that he would do better from now on. He owed Jack that much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the last of quick updates. I was holding out on posting it since I wanted to try spreading the updates out, but I have trouble keeping it hidden ahaha. Next chapter is in the works but with my winter break coming to an end, updates will definitely be a little more slow. So please don't pester me about updating soon, and don't worry if you don't hear from me for a week or two. I don't plan on abandoning this fic and even if it takes me months, I'll get it done.


	5. Chapter 5

They were in the final week before the show opened and it was called ‘hell week’ for a reason. Jack was crabby, Aster was snappy, and even Tooth was on edge. Last minute costume repairs had put the wardrobe crew in a bad mood and the usually jovial director, North, was starting to feel the stress as well. The set was still undergoing construction and some of the kids had gotten into the paint. The spotlight operators were off their marks and the music kept skipping due to their shitty soundboard.  
Overall it wasn’t going very well, and the children were feeling the worst of the stress. That was where Jack came in.

“Okay kids! Huddle up!” Jack shouted over the din of the technicians doing the sound check. The kids stared at him before following him into the hallway, where they were out of the way of the technicians trying to do their work. “We’re going to play a game, okay? It’s called Mirror.” The kids who were in Jack’s dance class immediately perked up. They knew this game! “Everyone partner up! Hey, kangaroo!”

“What?” Aster hated himself the moment he responded. Jack’s expression was momentarily shocked, but then the biggest shit-eating grin Aster had ever seen spread over his face. He was never going to live it down.

“Help me demonstrate the mirror game. You should know it.” Of course Aster did, nearly everyone had played some variation of it once in their life. Maybe not the same way dancers played it, but everyone had done it. Aster sighed and walked over to Jack, trying very hard to ignore how good Jack looked in his costume. “Thanks, Aster.” A flash of a smile and Aster knew he was doomed.

They pressed their hands together and moved slowly, bending and swaying until they had started some sort of improvised dance. The point of the game was to try and move as one person, no one directing the moves, just moving. Aster and Jack had played together early on in the rehearsal process to help prepare for their roles as the Nutcracker Prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy, but it hadn’t felt so intimate before. Jack was explaining the rules to his students but his eyes were locked on Aster’s, occasionally flickering to their hands. Their palms were molded tightly together and the difference between their fingers was hard to ignore. Jack pulled back until only their fingertips were touching and Aster realized just how cold Jack’s hands were, probably due to the poor heating in the theater, and then they weren’t touching anymore.

“Understand the rules now?” Jack had turned his attention to the kids and Aster stood awkwardly in the hallway, clenching his fists and trying to get the image of icy blue eyes out of his head.

Jack stumbled over his words and tried to forget the warmth of Aster’s hands.

_\--Three days until opening night--_

It wasn’t often that Toothiana could convince Kozmotis to meet her for coffee, and it was even less often that she could trick him into going when Sandy was meeting with her as well. It wasn’t that Kozmotis hated Sandy, it was just that they tended to butt heads over teaching methods. Tooth usually used the excuse of being unable to communicate with Sandy very easily. Kozmotis could read sign language better than anyone else she knew, so Tooth had fun watching their hands fly while their faces changed expressions without them realizing. She could only assume they held silent conversations because Kozmotis liked to seem mysterious. That or he swore more in ASL than he would ever allow himself to do vocally.

They had met to discuss Jack and Aster. Tooth knew that Kozmotis hated to admit it, but he had a soft spot for Jack Frost and he didn’t like seeing Jack get distracted with his dancing. Kozmotis could be single minded like that, but Tooth found that sort of drive to be very attractive.

Tooth had also asked Kozmotis to come because she had an unrepentant crush on him despite his weirdly shaped teeth, but that wasn’t the point of the meeting.

“So I’m sure you’ve noticed that Jack’s been focusing much better.” She started off. Kozmotis nodded and Sandy just shrugged. He didn’t see much of Jack, but Aster talked about him a lot. “That’s because Aster finally stopped acting like a prick and started acknowledging Jack. Thanks for that, Kozmotis.” Tooth beamed at her pointe instructor and he just rolled his eyes. He’d heard all about Aster and Jack’s little heart to heart from Tooth.

“If this is a matchmaking scheme, I’m going to abuse my powers as your teacher and I will fail you out of my pointe class.” He warned, but Tooth just smiled and patted his hand.

“No you won’t.” She said confidently. “You like my technique too much for that. This isn’t a matchmaking scheme, by the way. I was just thinking that this could be Jack’s chance to really shine.” The way Kozmotis’ eyes settled on her made Tooth’s smile grow a little crooked. He was interested. Sandy, on the other hand, cocked his head and signed something she couldn’t understand.

“I’m also wondering what Sandy has to do with this.” Kozmotis said, clarifying Sandy’s movements without meaning to.

“He’s a friend of Aster’s, and Aster is integral to the plan. I thought Sandy’s input would be invaluable.” Tooth smiled at Sandy and he grinned back, apparently satisfied with the answer. “Now, Aster should be working on a choreography showcase soon, right? I think it would be an excellent chance for Jack to perform something tailored to his abilities.”

“You mean pointe? That’s been done, what do you think his role in the Nutcracker is for?” Kozomitis muttered, expression dubious. Sandy looked thoughtful, but not entirely in agreement.

“Aster is studying contemporary, isn’t he?” Tooth asked a little too innocently. Sandy nodded slowly as his eyes lit up with comprehension. Kozmotis took a moment longer, but his sharp grin was exactly what Tooth had hoped for. “It appears that we are on the same page, gentlemen.”

_\--Opening Night--_

Jack was doing his best to keep his breathing even but he was so excited and anxious that it felt like his lungs would never take in enough air. The show had already begun, and Jack was waiting for his cue to go on stage. He’d barely even noticed when the first act of the ballet had passed, though Tooth and Aster had sat with him through intermission. He couldn’t stop his hands from shaking. The stage manager called out a lighting cue and the stage subtly shifted from cool shades of blue to warm hues of pink. Jack took a deep breath and drew himself up tall, standing in relevé in demi-pointe to prepare to walk out on stage. His cue came. Jack raised one leg and gracefully made his entrance en pointe, right into Aster’s arms.

The world was narrowed to just that stage and the lights above him. He wasn’t the fuck-up stepson. He wasn’t the nuisance pointe boy. He was a powerful ruler and this world was his. Here, he was the most important person. Here, Aster’s arms were surrounding him, holding him up, cradling him close.

This was where Jack wanted to stay forever.

Kozmotis was sitting in one of the boxes, having snuck away after his scene to greet someone he knew in the audience. “You should have let him know you were coming. I hope you plan on saying hello, at least.” He said to his companion, a slight scowl on his face even though his eyes were following Jack’s form on the stage.

“I doubt he would be very glad to see me. I didn’t want to make him upset by letting him know I’d be here.” Came the resigned response. Kozmotis snorted and for the first time he looked away from Jack, glaring at the man next to him.

“You realize that he’s agonized over your nonexistent relationship for the past two years, don’t you?” He kept his irritation to a whisper. “He’s nearly destroyed his feet trying to get your attention. You’re an absolute idiot, Manfred.”

Jack’s stepfather had never taken his eyes off the stage, even when Kozmotis turned to face him. His expression was slightly pained, because he knew Kozmotis was right. He was an idiot. “I don’t know how to fix things between us.” He murmured, watching as Jack smiled and gestured broadly with his arms at his subjects. “He really is good at this, isn’t he?”

“It helped that you sent me his way.” Kozmotis said, not even bothering to feign modesty. “You should at least tell him that you suggested him to me.”

“Maybe.” Manny pursed his lips and said no more. Kozmotis rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the stage.

Curtain call came too soon, in Jack’s opinion. The cast came out for bows and Jack felt better than he had in months, chest heaving with leftover adrenaline as he stepped out in front of the rest to take his bow. There were whistles from the audience, and cheering, and Jack felt like his face might split from how big his grin was. He fell back and Aster went forward with Tooth so they could take their bows. The audience went wild, even as the curtain began to drop. The other dancers hurried off stage to change out of their costumes and find their families. Jack moved more slowly and was the last person on stage aside from the technicians who had begun moving set pieces around.

A hand reached out from one of the curtain legs and pulled him into the dark folds of the fabric. Jack made a startled noise but then he found himself looking into familiar green eyes. Aster smiled down at him, his expression weirdly soft. Jack felt his stomach do some awful acrobatic twist.

“You were amazing tonight. The audience loved you.” Aster said quietly. Jack flushed at the praise and grinned.

“Yeah, well you weren’t too shabby yourself. Good thing, since you’re the title-guy.” He teased. Aster laughed and Jack realized that they were so close he could actually feel Aster’s laughter vibrating in his chest. They fell quiet again.

“Jack…” Aster’s face was getting closer and Jack rose up into elevé, his pointe shoes allowing him to be almost the same height as Aster, and Jack felt his breath against his cheek—

“Jack?” Tooth called out, her voice practically on the other side of the curtain. Jack pulled back from Aster in surprise and he wasn’t sure what to make of the disappointment that passed across Aster’s face. It was a fleeting expression, so brief that Jack was almost sure that he had imagined it.

“Better go find her, kid. I’ll catch you later.” Aster swept past him and Jack stared after his retreating form, wondering why his chest ached so badly. Tooth peered around the curtain and latched onto Jack once she caught sight of him, babbling about how well the opening night had gone.

Jack couldn’t focus. His mind was preoccupied with whatever it was that had just occurred between himself and Aster.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a long time to find a video that I could base Jack’s style off of, since none of the male contemporary dancers I saw were fluid enough to suit what I had in mind for him….then I found Lee Sun Tae and fell totally in love with his fluidity. If you look up ‘lee sun tae contemporary dance’ on youtube the first result should be his performance from the Dong-A Dance festival in 2008, and that’s what I had in mind for Jack. For Aster I had a better idea of what I wanted from him in terms of contemporary dance, relying a lot on acrobatic tricks and shows of strength since his flexibility isn’t as good (as a mesomorphic body type, like myself, he would need to stretch every day and his flexibility would never be on par with an ectomorphic type like Jack). If you're curious about Aster's dance style I imagine it would be something like _www (dot) youtube (dot) com/watch?v=qYFU9aLKYtE_

Aster hadn’t seen Jack since the previous night, though not for lack of trying on his part. Jack had apparently disappeared into thin air. He hadn’t been at his dorm when Aster went to talk to him after the show, and he wasn’t there in the morning either. According to Tooth Jack only had one class on Fridays and then he would work with Kozmotis on pointe technique in the afternoon. Since it was about 2pm, Aster figured he should at least try the small studio next to the weight room where Jack usually had his private lessons.

He didn’t really know what he was expecting but what he found certainly wasn’t it.

Jack was alone, Kozmotis nowhere in sight, and his feet were bare as he moved across the floor. Aster had only worked with Jack in the productions they did together, and the graduate school rarely opened its advanced courses to students at the local university where Jack studied. So Aster had only ever seen Jack perform in ballets. He hadn’t known Jack studied contemporary as well; it was beautiful. Some bizarre emotion bubbled up inside him and there was the desire to reach out and pull Jack to him, much like he had the previous night, though this time he didn’t want to let go. With that in mind, Aster acknowledged that his feelings had grown into something more than just admiring Jack’s technique and talent.

There was music coming from the stereo in the corner, a piano piece that Aster vaguely recognized from a movie he’d once seen. Jack hadn’t noticed him come in, or if he did then Aster’s presence hadn’t distracted him. His movements were fluid and he repeated a combination that looked as though he was melting across the floor, getting closer to Aster until he was looking up from the floor for a brief moment, catching Aster’s eye and then shifting away. He repeated the same combination and Aster realized that Jack wanted him to join in.

It had been a while since he had improvised contemporary with a partner, but with Jack it was easy. Aster slid behind him and followed his movements, repeating it until he felt comfortable enough to branch out from the pattern. Aster couldn’t move as fluidly as Jack, his body type just didn’t allow for that sort of liquid motion, but that was the point of improvisation. His hands slid down Jack’s arms and Jack allowed his wrists to be held gently, moving with Aster as his arms were pulled into different positions. Jack tensed as they reached the end of the combination because there was a fall that needed the use of his hands, but Aster wasn’t letting go of him. There was a moment of apprehension between the two of them as Aster wondered if Jack would trust him, and then Jack relaxed and allowed Aster to take the lead.

They still finished with a fall, Aster taking the brunt of the impact with his knees and rolling so that Jack barely even touched the ground. Jack stared down at Aster from where he was balanced over him with a surprised smile on his face, his hair falling into his eyes and his cheeks flushed from the exertion of dancing. Aster thought he looked absolutely radiant in that moment.

He wove his fingers through the hair at the nape of Jack’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss, the one he’d intended to give on the stage the night before but hadn’t been able to. Jack made a soft sound against his lips but didn’t pull away, merely shifting so that they could kiss more comfortably. It was a little clumsy, and it tasted like sweat and chapstick, but Jack was beaming when he pulled away.

“Been wanting to do that.” Aster said, which made Jack laugh and bury his face into Aster’s neck.

“I couldn’t tell.” Jack muttered against his skin, only partly joking. Aster just grinned.

_\--Second performance--_

Jack was jittery from nerves but it was more than just the anticipation of going out on stage. The kiss was on his mind despite the fact that it had been hours since it had happened, and Aster was acting as professionally as always. For a hysterical moment Jack wondered if the whole thing had been a fluke, that Aster had kissed him in the heat of the moment and that he regretted it, but then Jack was on stage and Aster was holding him aloft with a grip that felt tighter than usual.

Jack caught Aster’s eye and the fingers on his hips squeezed lightly. It was a small thing, but it was enough. They were fine.

When the curtain fell Aster pulled Jack backstage while Tooth grinned and Kozmotis rolled his eyes.

_\--Morning of third performance--_

Tooth hadn’t heard from Jack since the previous night and no one had seen Aster so she thought that she could safely assume that they had absconded for a romantic night alone. Unfortunately it turned out that Jack had actually been babysitting Kozmotis’ daughter late into the night and Aster had been locked in one of the library study rooms, writing a huge theory paper on contemporary dance. Tooth tried not to glare at Kozmotis but it was really difficult not to when he was actually cackling at her.

“You don’t have to attend the staff parties, you know.” Tooth groused. The reason   
Jack had been stuck babysitting was because Kozmotis had been out with the rest of the faculty to celebrate the show, since the previous day had been Friday. Sandy’s shoulders shook with silent laughter as Kozmotis’ smirk turned into a grimace.

“You can’t refuse the invitation.” He said, voice strangely flat, and Tooth wanted to ask (because anything that made Kozmotis Pitchner do anything against his will was a force to be reckoned with) but her phone started ringing at precisely the wrong moment. Tooth shot Kozmotis a look that said he wasn’t getting out of interrogation.

“Hello?” There was a pause on the other line and Tooth frowned. “Jack?” She tried again, and this time a shaky sob came over the line. Tooth stood up in alarm, startling Kozmotis and Sandy as she rushed out of the café to figure out what was wrong. Jack could hardly speak and Tooth couldn’t think of a time that she had ever seen him cry. He could be a bitter, sarcastic little shit at times, but he had never once cried in front of her. “I’m coming to get you. Go to your dorm and stay there, okay? Do you want me to get Aster?”

“No.” Jack’s voice wavered and it wasn’t due to the phone connection. “I don’t want him to worry.” Tooth hesitated, but gave her word not to tell Aster about it. She hung up and went back inside, visibly shaken. Kozmotis was standing, ready to help her at a moment’s notice.

“Can you drive me back to campus?” She asked weakly. Kozmotis nodded and helped her into her coat. Sandy put away their things and waved goodbye as they got into the car. Once they were on the road, Tooth heaved a sigh and rubbed tears from the corners of her eyes. 

“I’ve never heard Jack cry before.” She admitted. Kozmotis kept his eyes on the road but he made a sympathetic sound, reaching over to open the glove compartment and reveal a packet of tissues. Tooth took them and dabbed the wet streaks from her face, feeling silly for crying.

“He’s an emotional brat, but I’ve never seen him cry either.” Kozmotis said. “Don’t be ashamed to cry for his sake. Just don’t let him know, or it’ll be another reason for him to get upset.”

Tooth gave a broken little laugh and rested her forehead on the cold window, watching the scenery pass by.

“I just hope everything’s okay.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blackrusza on the DW kinkmeme did a gorgeous piece of art which you can find here: _http://muchymozzarella (dot) tumblr (dot) com/post/41944680240/scanned-version-of-the-pas-de-deux-drawing-i-did_
> 
> I seriously freaked out you have no clue ahhhhh

Tooth had almost asked Kozmotis to come with her to see Jack but he looked a bit troubled by the whole affair, so instead she thanked him for driving her and then watched him pull out of the parking lot. She wiped her eyes and headed indoors. Jack lived in one of the older buildings on campus, the rooms so small that they could only be used as singles, and Tooth counted the doors until she reached the one that had Jack’s name on it. 

She stood in front of his dorm and tried to get the courage to knock, but Jack opened the door before she had even raised her hand. He looked like a complete wreck, white hair disheveled and his eyes bright red from crying. There were long red marks up the sides of his arms and Tooth recognized them as a result of his nervous habit of scratching at himself. She took his hands in her own and held tight.

“Tell me everything.” She said, and Jack just nodded tiredly before leading her inside.

\--

There seemed to be a pattern here. Just like the day before, Aster hadn’t seen or heard from Jack since the previous night. He figured it was partially his own fault for having to turn down Jack’s offer of getting a late dinner together, but when he texted Jack that afternoon and got no response he started to get worried. Maybe Jack had kissed him spur of the moment that time in the studio? No, that was silly because they’d kissed again backstage after the show. Maybe Jack was having second thoughts? No, because they’d texted late into the evening and Jack had sent one brief text early that morning.

So what was going on that kept Jack from responding to Aster’s texts? It was a Saturday morning so Jack didn’t have classes or pointe lessons. Maybe he was just reading too much into things and was reacting excessively, like an overly clingy boyfriend, even though they weren’t boyfriends. Jack was probably just sleeping in. At four pm. One hour before call time for their third performance.  
He wasn’t overreacting. Nope.

It only took Aster six minutes to run from the library to Jack’s dorm.

\--  
Jack had only just gotten his bearings when there was a knock at the door. He exchanged a surprised look with Tooth and scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeve while she went to answer it.

“Aster?” Tooth sounded startled and Jack scrambled on his bed for something to hide him. Or course there was nothing, not even a book. He’d been in bed most of the day, sleeping at first and then just lying there for the rest of it. It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn’t eaten anything that day. Shit, they had a show tonight. Jack tried to look natural.

“Jack, you look like hell!”

So much for looking natural.

“Hello to you too, Aster.” Jack croaked, and winced at how terrible he sounded. Aster peered over the top of Tooth’s head and looked at him with concern. Jack waved him off and leaned against the headboard of the bed. “Why so serious?” He joked. “I’m fine, just allergies. The building is having some mold issues and I guess it’s going through ventilation.” Too much information for a simple lie, but at least the mold issue was true. Jack didn’t have mold allergies. Aster still looked suspicious but at least he wasn’t full-on freaking out anymore. “Also I slept most of the day away. So there’s that.” He grinned and Aster finally seemed to relax.

“Forgot about the show tonight, Sugar Plum?” He teased. Jack made a face at the nickname.

“No, I just slept through my alarm.” Jack tried to look guilty. “Seraphina tired me out, she refused to sleep until her dad came home.”

Aster appeared to accept the excuse. Jack felt his heart lurch. He wanted to tell him, wanted to explain why he’d been ignoring the texts, but he didn’t want Aster to be concerned. Jack wasn’t sure what Aster think of the situation. _He_ wasn’t even sure what he thought of the situation. He was saved from any questioning or further introspection by the grumbling of his stomach. Tooth jumped on the chance to intervene.

“We’d better hurry up and eat dinner! Jack, you stay here and shower. Aster and I will go grab food for you. Right, Aster?” Tooth tugged on Aster’s arm and he gave a distracted nod, his eyes glued on Jack until Tooth pulled him out the door. For a moment there was a total silence, and then a low, anguished sound filled the room. It took Jack a moment to realize that it was coming from himself.

_\--The Third Performance--_

North didn’t have a clue what was going on but when his Sugar Plum Fairy suddenly started having a panic attack halfway through the first act of the ballet he knew that standing around wasn’t going to help anything. He sent one of the angels to find Kozmotis and sat next to Jack while the kid tried to stop hyperventilating. He didn’t touch Jack for fear of upsetting him further but when Jack grabbed onto his arm he took it as permission to hug him loosely, careful not to make Jack feel trapped. North had dealt with many anxiety attacks from stressed out dancers, but it was not something he would ever get used to.

Kozmotis rounded the corner at what was almost a run and took North’s place beside Jack. North got up to leave but Jack kept hold of him, his breathing still erratic although he wasn’t crying anymore.

“Your makeup is a disaster.” Kozmotis said, and North would have scolded him for being so callous if Jack hadn’t given a slight laugh.

“Still prettier than you, Pitch.” And then Jack released North to curl up against Kozmotis’ side, letting him wipe eyeliner from his cheeks.

North knew that they were close but it was odd seeing them act so cuddly. Now free to move, North stood and went to do some damage control in the green room. Some of the children had been upset by Jack’s sudden panic attack and the show had to go on. Whatever was causing conflict in Jack’s life needed to be put on the back shelf, at least until after the final performance the next day.

Jack danced onto the stage for his entrance scene during the second act and if North didn’t know any better he would have thought that Jack was in perfect mental condition. It was a Saturday performance so the house was full, and Jack didn’t disappoint as he gave one of his most impressive performances yet. When the bows were finished and the curtain went down, North waited for the others to leave before he pulled Jack aside. Aster looked put out when North dismissed him, but this was a private conversation.

“Can you dance tomorrow?” North asked bluntly. Jack looked ashamed and North put his hands on his shoulders. “You did nothing wrong. Do not look so sad. I am just concerned for your health, you did not seem well today.” That was an understatement.

“I’m fine. I can dance.” Jack hesitated and North waited patiently for him to continue. “But I need to leave right after the matinee show tomorrow. Is that okay?”

“Of course, Jack! I will let the others know of your departure. You are not needed for strike.” North patted Jack’s back and smiled reassuringly. Whatever was going on in Jack’s life, he seemed to have it in control. North would try not to worry. Jack smiled weakly back at him before hurrying off to find Aster.

\--

Jack waited in the green room until the theatre lobby had cleared out. Some of the other dancers had come looking for him, telling him that some of the audience members wanted to speak with him, but he didn’t feel up to socializing and playing nice right then. Tooth and Aster had both gone out to greet people, since they were the leads in the show, but Jack didn’t mind that they weren’t around. He was waiting for someone in particular anyway.

“Jack.” He knew that voice well, though he didn’t hear it often. Jack didn’t move from where he was sitting, didn’t look up from his hands, didn’t acknowledge that he’d heard anything. The couch cushion next to him sank under the weight of someone’s body. A hand hesitantly settled on his arm.

“Jack, please. Talk to me.”

“You’ve always been a bearer of bad news.” Jack bit out, barely resisting the childish urge to pull away. He knew he wasn’t being fair but he didn’t care. Tears slid down his cheeks, hot and stinging. “You only talk to me when it’s something I don’t want to hear, but at least this time you had the gall to do it in person. Thanks for that, _Dad_.” The last word came out sarcastically and beside him Manny flinched. The hand on his arm squeezed before winding around his shoulders. Jack allowed himself to be pulled into an awkward hug by his step-father. They were suffering through this together, after all.

“I have to drive back tonight. I know you want to stay until tomorrow, but do you have a ride home?” Manny asked. Jack shook his head.

“I can ask Kozmotis. But he’s got Seraphina here, so maybe not.” While Jack knew that Kozmotis would have driven him he didn’t want to be an inconvenience. He was always being a nuisance.

“What about that man you’re friends with? Aster?” Manny sounded like he knew there was something more going on but there was no judgment in his tone. Jack shook his head again.

“I don’t want to worry him.” He said, and Manny sighed and gently pinched Jack’s shoulder before retreating to look him fully in the eye.

“If you care about this boy, then you shouldn’t keep things from him. I saw him in the lobby, he looked miles away. Probably worried about you. Don’t push him out, Jack, not when he’s already done so much for you.” Manny definitely knew something that Jack didn’t and Jack gave him a suspicious frown. Manny just smiled and wiped the remnants of tears from Jack’s face with the cuff of his dress shirt. “It’s going to be okay. Emma is still...she’s not awake yet, but the prognosis is good. We’ll be waiting for you at the hospital tomorrow.”

“I’ll ask Aster to drive me.” Jack mumbled, giving in against his better judgment. As much as he hated to admit it, Manny had a point. He couldn’t cut Aster out now that he finally had his attention. He’d always told himself that one day he would have the world’s eyes on him, that he’d force them to acknowledge him. Now that he’d finally done it, now that Aster believed in him, he wasn’t going to lose it so easily.

“Good boy. I need to go now, your mother is...understandably, we’re all concerned. We’ll be glad to have you home.” Manny stood up and hesitated. “I’m proud of you, Jack. I always have been. I’m just sorry it took me so long to say it.”

Jack stayed in the green room long after Manny left, staring at his feet which were still bound in his pointe shoes. He was exhausted and he wanted to be at home with his family, but Manny and his mother and convinced him to stay for the full run of the show. He felt selfish for staying when his sister was in the hospital, even of the doctors were certain that she would be fine. If she wasn’t, then it would be Jack’s fault. He’d fucked up big time.

He’d sought Manny’s approval for so long, and now that he finally had it, he’d never felt more undeserving of it.


End file.
